Another Blog by Rabbi Brant Rosen

Isaac Digs a Well

so isaac departed from there and
encamped in the wadi of gerar where
he dug anew the wells
which had been dug in the days
of his father abraham digging
deep he’s clawing at the
dry dead earth those long
buried voices leaking out
gurgling up like hidden springs burst
open cast out that horrid slave woman and her son
now take your other son whom you love so very
very much and bind him up tight don’t
worry god will provide for the sacrifice my
boy so he named that well sitnah that means
pain his eyes so filled with his hot
tears he doesn’t notice at
first the ground growing softer and
sweeter who is this woman
walking in the field toward me
i am your god fear not for
i am with you i will bless you i
will keep you safe so isaac changed
the name of the well to rechovot that means
god had torn open his bindings and
gave his soul wide open space to
roam when he woke up his servants
came to him and told him about the well they
had dug and said to him we have
found water

Welcome!

"Yedid Nefesh" is a collection of my recent poetry as well as posts on Judaism, Jewish life and spirituality in general. Please check in regularly and feel free to share your comments.

By way of introduction: I'm the rabbi at Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston, IL. The opinions I share on my blogs, however, are mine alone. They don't reflect the positions of my congregation or any other organization with which I am affiliated.

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